From March 21 to 23, the 18th China Cultural Tourism Global Forum was held at the Atlantis Hotel, a landmark representing the latest development in the tourism industry in Sanya. Themed "China Momentum Bridges the World", the forum was initiated by China Hotel magazine, and co-organized by Asia Pacific Hotel Association, China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce (CRECC) and Sanya Municipal Government.

The event brought together nearly 2,000 attendees including delegations from the United States, Canada, Portugal, and Greece; real estate developers and hotel investors, including Jinmao Group, Fosun Group, Poly Group, Country Garden, Agile Group, COFCO Group, China Merchants Bank, Shimao Group, Luneng Group, Star River Group, Yuexiu Group; hotel corporations, including InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Marriott International, Hyatt, Rosewood, MGM Grand, China Travel Service (HK), Beijing Tourism Group; cultural tourism corporations, including Chimelong Group, Ctrip, Foriseland, Zhejiang Tourism Holding, Hainan Airlines; and other tourism-related businesses such as Gani Marble Tiles, Ming Fai Group, Mengniu, CDN Lighting, Absen, Dream View World.

Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun Group, Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, Keith Barr, president and CEO of IHG, and David Udell, the group president – ASPAC of Hyatt also shared their views through video link.

Consul generals of the United States, Canada, Germany, Portugal, and Greece in China participated in a panel discussion on the theme of "China's Opportunities on the World Stage," contributing new ideas about international exchanges of cultural tourism. 

"Communication makes culture more vibrant, and tourism makes the world better," said Mehri Madarshahi, a senior economist for the United Nations (UN) Secretariat and former president of the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations of the U.N. System (CCISUA). 

The Consul General of Canada in Guangzhou, Rachael Victoria Bedlington said that she was delighted to see the rapid development of China's tourism, especially outbound tourism, and she hoped more Chinese tourists would visit Canada in 2018, the Year of Canada-China Tourism. 

The Consul General of Portugal in Shanghai, André Sobral Cordeiro said that Portugal had established more tourism facilities so that Chinese tourists could better experience local culture. Consul General of Greece in Shanghai said that China has enormous potential for and plays an important role in promoting the development of global cultural tourism.

Jolyon Bulley, CEO of IHG's Greater China region delivered a keynote speech at the forum, analyzing the opportunities and challenges facing the hospitality sector in the era of cultural tourism from the perspective of consumers' needs. He said that the hospitality sector is a crucial part of the tourism industry, and China's focus on developing tourism as a pillar industry in the 13th Five-Year Plan promised a brilliant prospect of cultural tourism in the country. He also noted that China's rapid economic growth and the development of IHG's franchise business in China proved the importance of the Chinese market, as half of the hotels being built by IHG were located in China.

A survey report on hotel management companies was jointly released by enterprises including Jinmao Group, Fosun Group, R&F Properties, Wanda Group, COFCO Group, Poly Group, Agile Group, Greenland Group, and Shimao Group at the forum.

Six professional panel discussions were held during the forum, which focused on preparation for the construction of hotels, brand establishment and development, hotel design, integration of different tourism-related sectors, towns of cultural tourism, as well as hotel management.

The press conference and ceremony of the 18th Golden Horse Awards of China Hotel, as well as a brand launch of Fosun Tourism and Culture Group were also held during the forum.

China Hotel Investors Supply-side Industry Chain Fair (Spring) held during the forum attracted over 1,000 purchasers. A series of match-ups at the fair facilitated the cooperation between investors and operators, producers and distributors as well as talent and enterprises. 

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